Oil Spill from Espadarte Field FPSO

Brazilian state-run oil firm Petróleo Brasileiro S.A. announced there was an oil spill on January 2 from its chartered floating production storage and offloading unit (FPSO) Cidade de Rio de Janeiro, in the Espadarte field offshore Brazil.

FPSO Cidade de Rio de Janeiro (Photo courtesy MODEC)

Petrobras said approximately 4.9 cubic meters of oil leaked from one of the tanks of the FPSO, which is in the process of being decommissioned after ceasing production in July 2018. The spill was contained on January 3.

The FPSO Cidade de Rio de Janeiro is operated by Modec do Brasil in the Espadarte field in the Campos Basin, approximately 130 kilometers from the Macaé coastline, on the north coast of Rio de Janeiro. It achieved first oil in January 2007.

Petrobras said regulatory agencies have been informed, and a commission of inquiry will investigate the causes of the incident in cooperation with Modec.